Mr.Cater's Maid

Kiss me

"I packed a lunch," my mother said as I walked in the kitchen looking for the instant coffee mix I usually drink as she put a sandwich in a ziplock container. I might need more than one coffee today as I only slept for a few hours last night, and that too on the couch. My neck was in pain due to this decision. This was going to be a long day.

"Thanks, Did you move the coffee?" I asked as I slammed another cabinet door. 

"It's on the counter. Your Dad never put it back after he had it." She pointed at the middle of the kitchen where the island stood.

"Thank you!" I said, walking towards and grabbing it.

"Why did you sleep on the couch last night?" She asked. I could tell she was trying to keep her worried tone at bay.

"Oh, I got hot in the room. Figure I come down, cool down, and watch some TV, and it worked like a charm." I rambled.

"Okay. I'll tell Dad to turn up the AC at night." She offered.

"Thanks," I left it at that. I did not want to prolong this conversation. It was nice to see my mother's concern, but I did not want to worry her further.

As my mother worked on packing, I presumed her and my father's lunch. I stuck my coffee water in the microwave at the other end of the kitchen, yawning every few seconds. I could feel my mother's eyes watching me. "I am fine, just tired. It was a long night."

"What time did you get back last night?" She cautiously asked.

"Not late," I answered. "Megan took me to a club," I said after contemplating for a bit on whether I should tell her or not.

"She took you where!?" My mother exclaimed. "I can't believe these kids. They don't do anything with their lives but a party!" She yelled.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you say a bad word about them!" I said in genuine shock.

"That's because they sign my paycheck. But that Megan is not good company. You should try to not be around her much." She advised.

"But Adam is okay?" I asked.

"He is a good kid. Stubborn but really cares about his family. He is even nice to Mrs.Chelsea. I wouldn't be if I was him. And that Mr.Carter is something else. What kind of man marries another woman 3 months after his wife dies?"

"Yeah, I know. And I've never heard Adam say anything bad about her." I said reflectively.

My mother packed the last sandwich and placed all the lunch bags on the island. Then she put the rest of the extra sandwiches in the fridge. In the meantime, the microwave beeped, indicating that my coffee was made. I took it out and stuck my mouth on it, ignoring the heat burning my lips and tongue. I needed the caffeine.

I bid my mom goodbye and took my coffee to the living room. I sipped as I browsed through Instagram. I still had a hard time keeping my thoughts at bay. I even looked up Adam on Instagram, but my Adam didn't show up. My Adam, oh man, was I pathetic.

Again, I pondered texting Natasha, but it was already close to 10:00. She had asked me to come in at 1:00 to help out with another event they were planning for next weekend. So I decided I was just going to awkwardly and mortifyingly make it to the end of the night. I had no other choice....

"I don't like the lavender they sent Diya!" Natasha said as I sorted through fabric samples laying out on the table in our basement church office. We were picking a fabric curtain a vendor had sent for a wedding stage backdrop. Unfortunately, the lavender fabric they sent was not flowing as Natasha wanted.

"Yeah, I think all of these are too thick. I'll reach out to the vendor in Brooklyn instead. They might not send the sample in time, so I might just go in to check out what they have in person." I advised as I started to fold the fabric to put it back in the plastic bags they came in.